Council says no to exhibition hall loan

BY PETER ROPER
THE PUEBLO CHIEFTAIN

Published: July 14, 2014;Last modified: December 12, 2014 11:27AM

A majority of City Council gave a cold reception to a request Monday night that it reconsider making a $14.5 million loan to the Pueblo Urban Renewal Authority for adding an exhibition hall to the Pueblo Convention Center.

On a separate issue, they also approved an ordinance to let Pueblo residents smoke pot on their front porches and backyards.

The PURA loan was the thornier issue, though.

Armed with a legal memo from City Attorney Dan Kogovesek saying council could make the loan without getting voter approval, Councilmen Steve Nawrocki and Chris Nicoll urged their colleagues to reconsider their 5-2 vote last June against the request.

Nawrocki and Nicoll were on the short end of that vote and they were reminded of that Monday.

Councilwoman Ami Nawrocki said the loan decision has been made and the two dissenting votes should accept that. She also said the $14.5 million loan from the city’s half-cent fund for economic development would take interest money — as much as $300,000 a year — away from the city budget.

She said PURA still was free to build the project as originally planned — through a $14.5 million bond issue.

Nicoll countered that it made no sense to require PURA to pay $12 million in interest over the life of that bond, when the city could provide the money from the half-cent fund.

He said President Sandy Daff and council members Chris Kaufman, Ed Brown, Ami Nawrocki and Eva Montoya should support the loan as a real economic development opportunity.

He challenged them that they had other plans for the $40 million in the half-cent fund — such as road paving, parks and other improvements. Council held four town hall meetings on that subject in May and June.

“I ask you to set aside that other issue of what to do with the half-cent (in the future) and reconsider this,” Nicoll said.

Kaufman bristled at Nicoll’s comments and reread several Chieftain editorials scolding council for considering any use for the half-cent tax other than job recruitment.

“All we did was ask the public who own (the tax) what they wanted to do with it,” Kaufman said.

Daff also jumped Nicoll.

“I don’t have a hidden agenda, Chris, and I’m not going to let you get away with saying that anymore,” she said.

On the question of smoking pot at home, the ordinance council approved on a 5-2 vote says property owners, their friends and their renters can smoke anywhere in the front yard beyond the legal setback for each home, townhouse or duplex, which is typically 25 feet — which means porches are OK.

They also can smoke anywhere in their backyards unless the property adjoins public land or right-of-way. Then, you have to stay at least 10 feet back from the property line to toke.